Volvo of Houston

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Driving Impressions

The all-new 2008 Volvo V70 makes a compelling alternative to a crossover or sport-utility vehicle.

It's Volvo's best wagon ever, and it delivers most of the utility one gets in a moderately sized SUV. It provides good passenger-cargo flexibility and more cargo volume than some mid-sized SUVs, but its exterior dimensions are relatively compact, and it's easy to park. It can tow a camper (up to 3300 pounds), but it gets decent gas mileage. It's more pleasant and comfortable as daily transportation than most any SUV (or crossover) we can think of, with a smooth, quiet and comfortable highway ride.

The 2008 V70 features a new six-cylinder engine. Gone are the familiar five-cylinders. This 3.2-liter inline-6 was first used in the 2007 S80 sedan. It generates 235 horsepower at 6200 rpm, with 236 pound-feet of torque at 3200 rpm. That's an upgrade of 27 horsepower over the 2007 V70 2.5T (though far short of the sporty 2007 V70 R's 300 horses, of course). The new V70 engine uses the latest in control and materials technology, including emissions-reducing variable valve timing.

The six-speed automatic transmission boasts one more gear than the previous model to improve response and fuel economy. This transverse, or sideways, mounted engine is compact, which helps explain why the 2008 V70 is nearly a foot shorter than the previous model, even with more interior space.

Volvo's new six-cylinder reminds us why we like inline six-cylinder engines, or straight sixes as they're known. They just seem to power-up faster than the more common V6, spinning more freely and smoothly as they go. Volvo's 3.2-liter doesn't qualify as a screamer, but it delivers acceleration-producing torque in smooth, linear fashion and breathes well at high rpm, which means it doesn't gasp or get rough if you run it near the redline. From a stop or for passing at higher speeds, the V70 accelerates better than adequately, and the eager quality of its engine might make you actually want to shift the six-speed automatic manually as you go about your business.

No need to do so, however. Volvo's Geartronic transmission is probably its most effective automatic so far. It seems to shift in all the right places, and whether it's up a gear or down, those shifts are smooth, tight and relatively quick. The Geartronic manual feature can be enjoyable nonetheless, should the driver choose to get a bit more involved. There are no paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, as many cars now feature (that's where Volvo put controls for its navigation system), but there's a manual slot for the shift lever left of the normal gear-selection path. The up-down gear change action has a smooth, quality feel, and the transmission won't insult the driver by shifting up on its own if the revs get too high.

We suspect Volvo will bring its V70 T6, with a more powerful turbocharged version of the six-cylinder and a manual transmission option to the United States for 2009 or beyond. But the V70 as it's currently available didn't leave us pining for the turbo, nor given the excellent performance of the automatic, for a manual. It's not a machine that makes you crave more sporty features.

If pure excitement is what a buyer seeks, he or she might do better with the more powerful, much more expensive wagons from Audi or BMW. Yet the V70 never gets tiresome around town or on the open road, as some sport-utility vehicles can. It rides comfortably and quite smoothely, though it's never mushy, and its seats make a fine place to de-compress during a long commute home.

The V70's brakes are superior to most. They stop the vehicle right now, with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) to instantaneously transfer the most stopping power to the tires with the best grip. Volvo has nearly eliminated the spongy feel that characterized its brake-pedal action for years.

As a package, the V70 delivers the s

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